TODAY: High-level talks planned with Ukraine over trade war; Navalny continues his mayoral campaign; gay rights furore continues as World Athletics Championships close; half of invested money landing in Virgin Islands; ‘worst ever’ floods affect five regions.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has consulted with his Ukrainian counterpart and scheduled talks to address current trade problems, after Ukraine responded to tighter import regulations by banning Russian wheat.  An adviser to President Vladimir Putin indicated that Russia would press for Ukraine to back off from making a free trade deal with the E.U.  The Guardian profiles Alexei Navalny as he continues his campaign to become Moscow Mayor, throughout the course of which, he estimates, he will have met 1% of Moscow’s electorate face-to-face.  The anti-corruption blogger says he will not participate in any more debates in connection with the election unless they are broadcast by major media outlets, instead of small television channels.  This piece picks apart Navalny’s allegedly ‘risky fundraising methods’.  Vladimir Frolov says that Navalny has successfully tarnished the reputation of his main opponent, Sergei Sobyanin.  Veteran rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva gets a profile in the New York Times.